People power forces Wicked Campers to withdraw misogynistic marketing

The campervan company at the centre of a people-powered revolt over sexist van slogans has today issued an apology and committed to reviewing and removing sexist or misogynistic marketing from all vans in the next six months.

Paula Orbea, the Sydney school teacher who started the 110,000-strong change.org petition against Wicked Campers says it’s a stunning people-power victory against sexism, with the result coming just four days after starting the petition.

In an email from Wicked Campers received by Paula, she says they’ve offered a personal apology, have now removed the sexist slogan Paula’s daughter saw, committed to reviewing and removing insensitive slogans from all vans in the next six months. The statement reads: “Wicked Campers Owner, John Webb wishes to acknowledge the prevailing community opinion by REMOVING the slogan in question and making a commitment over the coming six months to changing slogans of an insensitive nature.”

Wicked Campers have been at the centre of numerous ad watchdog complaints and social media backlashes in the past, and Paula says that it was the change.org petition which gathered more than 110,000 sigantures that made the difference.

“I’m overjoyed at the result, and commend Wicked Campers for eventually listening to consumers that their misogynistic slogans weren’t acceptable.”

“This was a people power win. The change.org petition worked just as it intended, with more than 110,000 people signing, it was an overwhelming show of community support.”

“The kind of sexism and misogyny on those Wicked Campers vans isn’t trivial – it’s degrading to women, harmful for our children to consume, and condones a rape culture that sees one-in-three Australian women sexually assaulted in their lifetimes.

“I’m pleased my daughter said something, and that we stood up against it. It’s important that we call out sexism wherever it exists – and my change.org petition enabled me to actually make a difference and win change.”

Paula is urging those offended by the vans to continue to call out examples of misogynistic and offending vans by contacting the company and posting on social media about them – and she will be monitoring the company’s progress in removing offending slogans.

Karen Skinner, Australian Director of change.org says it’s an example of the growing success womens activism is having through online petitions.

“More than ever before, women are calling out everyday sexism and fighting back through social media and change.org petitions.”

“Online tools are giving women the ability to join together and achieve change incredibly quickly, in stark contrast to the individual complaints processes.”

“Women’s rights issues are among the most popular on change.org, and women make up more than 60% of our most active users. There’s a growing community going online and winning on these once-ignored issues.”

Unanimous vote for Greens anti-Wicked Campers motion in Senate

The Senate has unanimously passed a Greens’ motion condemning the sexist, misogynistic and racist slogans that Wicked Campers have on their hire vans.

“The Senate is sending a strong message that promoting violence against women is completely unacceptable in Australian society,” Senator Larissa Waters, Australian Greens spokesperson for women, said.

“I’m pleased to hear that Wicked Campers have said they will remove the specific slogan that sparked on online petition signed by more than 120 000 people, and have committed to remove more of what they describe as “insensitive” slogans in coming months.

“I wholeheartedly congratulate and thank Paula Orbea, who started the petition after her 11-year-old daughter read the slogan which incited sexual violence against women and girls.

“Paula has shown that by calling out sexism and misogyny, we can put a stop to it, and change the culture that normalises and condones it.

“These sexist slogans promote violence against women, which is sadly a massive problem in Australia.

“One in every three Australian women over the age of 15 have experienced violence and one in every five have experienced sexual violence.

“Most often women know their attacker, with one Australian woman a week killed by her partner or ex-partner.

“Violence against women is certainly no laughing matter – it is a national emergency,” Senator Waters said.

Wicked assigns women and girls to a place of inferiority: Dr Helen Pringle

…Wicked Campers is a serial offender at the Advertising Standards Bureau (ASB), which has formally considered dozens of complaints against the company since 2008. What is most striking over that time is that the ASB has completely failed to counter the campaign of derision and intimidation against Australian girls and women by the company. In fact, in the last two years, Wicked Campers has simply not responded in any way to complaints lodged with the ASB, or to determinations against its conduct by the Bureau. And the Bureau is powerless in the face of the company’s contempt for it….

One of the most egregious violations by the company did not even become the subject of a complaint to the ASB. During the 2012 Queensland state election campaign, a company campervan was painted with a garish cartoon of a naked middle-aged woman, with her legs spread wide apart so as to expose her whole body to the world, and her genitals obscured by two squares, marked as 1 (her vagina) and 2 (her anus). The caption to the cartoon shouted out to its audience, “Tick the Right Box!”. The cartoon represented Anna Bligh, then Queensland premier, who had earlier criticised the company’s use of a racist slogan on a van (“Save a Whale – Harpoon a Jap!”)…

In his book The Harm in Hate Speech, Jeremy Waldron argues that a flourishing and fair society rests on the equal standing and treatment of its members – and on the recognition and assurance of that equality in society’s “signage”. The Wicked camper vans assign girls and women to a place of inferiority and frustrate the assurance of equality to which we are entitled, in public places just as in workplaces. Read full article

Wicked Campers are known for their campervans emblazoned with sexist and demeaning slogans.We’ve written about them before.

One of our supporters, blogger and activist Paula Orbea, decided she had had enough after her young daughter was exposed to a certain van while out with her grandparents. She wrote on her blog:

“A few days ago, I went to pick up my 11 and 7 year old daughters from a holiday stint with my parents. As we greeted each other with hugs, my 11 year old did not hesitate in telling me, with great concern, that she saw something terrible when she was in the car with my dad – a van that said all girls were sluts who want to try it just once.

“So it’s official – something I personally called out has encroached and touched my family directly.”

Paula and her daughter contacted the Advertising Standards Bureau where her young daughter made an official complaint. She wrote, “I am a little girl and I am not a slut.”

Paula recounted her frustration as she discovered a long list of complaints against Wicked Campers for similarly misogynistic and demeaning slogans and imagery. Many complaints against Wicked Campers had been upheld, but Australia’s system of industry self regulation means there is no enforcement of the ASB’s ruling, and Wicked Campers have no obligation to remove the advertising. As such, Wicked Campers are free to disregard the ASB’s ruling and do whatever they want- there are no penalties, fines or legislation in place that would prevent Wicked Campers and other advertisers from using misogyny, racism or homophobia to sell their products.

We have raised this issue before, in submissions to inquiries for advertising and outdoor advertising, calling for a complete overhaul of the current system. We have called for regulation by an independent body rather than the industry itself, as well as pre-vetting of advertisements and substantial penalties for those who continually breach standards and codes, like Wicked Campers.

Paula decided it was time to take action, so she created a petition on change.org calling on Wicked Campers to remove misogynistic and degrading slogans and imagery. Her call to action resonated with many people, with thousands signing the petition and condemning Wicked Campers for their sexist and hateful slogans. Sign Paula’s petition here.

In just two days, Paula’s campaign has sparked national media coverage. Wicked Campers has removed the option to post on their Facebook wall after being inundated with complaints from people now empowered to speak out. This is a great lesson to Wicked Campers and other media and advertisers, that demeaning women to promote products is no longer acceptable and will hurt their business. As such, Paula’s campaign is already a success, and we are thrilled to see people like Paula speaking out.

As author and activist Margaret Mead once said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

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